Silent, Delay, Reveal
by NessaMoon
Summary: Semi-sequel to Power Greater than a Demon. Naruto realizes he loves Hinata, but stays quiet about his feelings while Hinata ponders why she delays telling Naruto hers and in the end, after the battles are over, everything is revealed.
1. Silent

If anyone's reading Broken Pieces, blame this for my not having updated it. Sorry!! Anyway, this is a continuation/sequel of Power Greater than a Demon. It references the events in it enough anyway. I hadn't intended to continue it, but why argue with the bunnies (and it helps with Naruto's budding feelings here...I hope...)? It's about Naruto, away and training, realizing he had fallen in love at some point with Hinata and Hinata mulling over her own, but I got stuck. Recently, something happened (don't know what, my brain's like that a lot) and this took off like a rocket!

Speaking of rockets…rocketing to the story!

**Title:** Silent. Delay. Reveal.**  
Genre:** Angst**  
Timeline:** AU (The Team 8 and 7's mission to rescue Sasuke was successful)**  
Summary:** Semi-sequel to Power Greater than a Demon. Naruto realizes he loves Hinata, but stays quiet about his feelings while Hinata ponders why she delays telling Naruto hers and in the end, after the battles are over, everything is revealed.**  
Pairings:** NaruHina**  
Rating:** G**  
Disclaimer: **I own nothing!! Otherwise I wouldn't be as depressed as I am now! Everything belongs to Kishimoto.

* * *

**Silent**

Naruto could not sleep.

His mind was not on a particular subject, or rather, he could not pin down his actual thoughts. The same thing replayed itself over and over in his mind and despite how he tried to rationalize it, the same aching feeling constantly stabbed at his heart. Nothing seemed right in his head and he could not understand any of it.

Sighing, he rose up from his small pallet. He looked around the small and sparse room he currently occupied. In one corner next to the door sat a pile of letters from his friends, most of them detailing the condition of the village. Sakura's letters were the most in depth, explaining everything from the elders' fury over his leaving the village without their consent (apparently, Old Lady Tsunade's permission was not good enough anymore) to Sasuke's status and recovery.

He smiled slightly, the aching feeling lessening a little at the thought of Team 7 back together (at least on the same side once again, since Naruto was currently out of the village training again). Tsunade had told him before he left not to worry about Sasuke's possible punishment and Sakura wrote in her letters that the general mood over his betrayal had dampened a bit.

"_Tsunade-shishou assures me that whatever sentence Sasuke-kun receives,"_ wrote Sakura in her last letter, _"it won't interfere with our becoming a team again. It's likely a good thing it won't because I don't think Sasuke-kun would be very happy if he could not be a ninja again."  
_

A grin on his face, he looked over to the other corner where sat his pack and supplies. Pretty much the essentials: clothes, a bit of ramen (Myouboku Mountain had food, but no ramen!). The Frog who held the key to his seal leaned again the wall sound sleep. And in front of the Frog…

The aching in his heart returned full force as he caught sight of the other pallet on the far side of the room. Hinata lay there, asleep as could be, moonlight catching her in its grip, causing her skin to appear milky white and hair dark blue. He could not understand why he was feeling like this; why the scene of a limp Hinata continued to eat away at his every conscious thought.

It had been nearly a month since the incident with the Akatsuki Pein and his partner Konan. Nearly a month since he had lost control again and Hinata had risked her life to bring him out of the Four Tail state. The incident had nearly killed her, but he had healed her by using the Fox's chakra combined with some of his own. However, it was the nearly dying part that took up his mind; how he could not protect her and something else he could not at all explain.

Sighing, he walked out of the room, hoping the fresh air would help him get rid of these thoughts so he could sleep. The protecting her part particularly baffled him. Protecting his precious people was very important to him and it tore him apart when he could not, but for some reason, with Hinata… protecting her was on a whole other level than protecting someone else. He felt as if he should protect her from everything and anything that come her way, even if that meant preventing her from fighting, which, of course, he knew was wrong. Yet he could not help but feel that way. He certainly did not feel that way toward any of his other friends.

Naruto sighed and shook his head. His walk had led him to the clearing where he and Hinata did most of his training to finally learn how to control the Fox's chakra. They had come to Myouboku because it was out of the way so no member of the Akatsuki would find him here, and if he did lose control innocent people would not get hurt. He had asked Hinata to come along since she could suppress the demon chakra by increasing his own, whereas Yamato-taicho just repressed it.

But since the incident with the Akatsuki, Naruto had felt very strange towards Hinata, more than just a simple urge (if it could be called simple) to protect her. She did not appear to notice (or so he thought), but every time he looked at her, his heart throbbed, images of her battle with Konan and her lying on the ground with burn marks assaulted him. He thought back to how she used to be, how he cheered her on during her match with Neji, her words at the training field about where his true strength lay, how he was a proud failure. For some reason, those memories made his heart ache even more.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked himself. He clutched his chest where his heart was. "Why do I feel like this whenever I think of her?"

"Boy!" Naruto turned around and saw the tiny form of Ma, one of the Toad Sennin, jump up on a rock next to him. "What're you doin' up? Shouldn't you be sleeping? You've got trainin' tomorrow, you know?"

He sighed and poked the ground with the edge of his sandal. "I've just…got a lot on my mind…"

Ma stared at him, turning her small head to the side. "Anything you want to talk about, Naruto-chan?"

Naruto shook his head. This was not really something he wanted to talk about, especially with Ma. Besides, how could he talk about something he could not figure out in the first place?

"Okay, then." It grew silent; Naruto staring up at the stars while Ma tapped her webbed foot. After awhile, the silence became uncomfortable and he wished she would leave, but his hope went unanswered as she said, "Ya know, you don't have to explain everything. Just mention something."

Naruto turned away, annoyed. That was not what he wanted, but… He tilted his head to the side. Perhaps if he just mentioned one thing, then maybe she would be happy and leave. "Well…" he started, searching his mind for something. He thought about one feeling he had been having; the desire to protect Hinata, but it was such a different feeling, different from his desire to protect others. Very different. "Have you ever wanted something, but it's different from something else you also want?"

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific, boy."

Naruto frowned, really wishing he had not started this. "There's… someone I want to protect, but it's different from the way I want to protect everyone else."

Ma nodded and folded her arms. "How's it different?"

"I want to make sure this person's never hurt, never, but… I think… to the point where they don't fight at all." Naruto tightened his fists, the desire overwhelming him. "But this feeling… I know it's not right. I can't force someone to stop fighting especially if they're capable fighter on their own."

As his emotions and thoughts bubbled confusingly around in his mind, Ma turned her head toward the field, gazing at it fondly as if thinking of something pleasant. "Naruto-chan, you're not the only one to feel that way. Nope, not the only one."

Naruto raised his head in surprise. This feeling was normal? _Is everything I'm feeling normal? _he thought. _Heh, if this is normal, I would hate to feel what's not normal._ "Eh, Ma?" he started, kicking the ground a bit nervously. "Could you explain that? How is forcing someone not to fight normal?"

"I said the feeling's normal; tryin' to stop someone from fighting, well, that's not right and ya already know that." The tiny frog sat down on the rock, still staring down at the field. "I felt the same way toward Pa whenever we entered battle. And I'm sure he felt the same way toward me. It's a natural feeling, you know, toward those you love, 'specially toward people you fall in love with."

She glanced back up to him, a knowing smile on her face as he stared at her, eyes wide in shock. Fall… in love? He was in love with Hinata? He quickly shook his head, not quite believing it. His mind went to Sakura, how much he liked her (before he retrieved Old Lady Tsunade with Ero-sennin). He still liked Sakura, sometimes still hoping he had a chance with her, but accepted that she would be his teammate, his precious teammate, but this… this feeling Ma said was love for Hinata… it was too much. Too much at once for him to properly understand and really nothing like his feelings for Sakura.

"Eh, you're still young, Naruto-chan," said Ma, breaking the silence between them. She turned back to the field. "True love's often outta your grasp, but if ya want to protect this girl the way you say you do, then I 'spect that's real love for you."

Naruto shifted to one foot to another, growing increasingly uncomfortable in Ma's presence. "It's just… I…" He bit his lip, trying to find the right words, unnerved that he could not readily come up with what he wanted to say at once, like he normally did. "I… I don't… don't think…" Finally, he closed his eyes, sighed and resigned to say it, spat out quickly, "I don't think I know what love is."

With his eyes closed, he could not see Ma scrutinizing him. "Think ya mentioned you lived alone all your life?" Naruto nodded. "I say that's understandable then, not knowin' what's love. It's a hard feelin' to describe even for those who know."

Slowly, he opened his eyes, but kept his gaze at his feet. He thought about Haku's words about precious people and how many of those he had. Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei. Iruka-sensei, Old Lady Tsunade, Jiraiya. Shizune, the rest of his friends of the Rookie 9 and Team Gai. He cared about them, all of them. He likely held a few closer than most (mainly Team 7 and Iruka), but when it came down to it, was it love? Somehow, he knew the type of love Ma talked about was not the type of love he associated with his precious people. "What's it like then?" he asked, softly. "Love?"

"Ah…well, Naruto-chan, this love feels different, 'specially in the beginnin.' Sometimes you feel overtaken by strange feelings and all toward this one person. When the person's not around, ya feel empty, but with 'em, ya feel complete."

However, Naruto shook his head. "But that sounds like me when I'm with Team 7, I feel complete when I'm with them, I'll do anything for them. I feel happy with them and in the beginning; it was strange, but happy." Again, he shifted under the elder frog's gaze, but also gripped his chest where his heart lay. "What's the difference?"

Ma sighed and nodded. "It's same, but different. Love's like a bunch of rivers, comes from the same source, but branches off into different directions and not one has less water than the other. Do ya feel complete with her? Hmm? You say you feel complete with your team, but do ya feel complete with her?"

Complete. The word he often associated with his team. Actually, more like incomplete and with Sasuke, they would be complete. That moment came and now, Team 7 was complete. It seemed simple enough, but yet he knew the way he felt toward Hinata was not like he felt toward his team or his other friends. It was the same intensity, for sure, but not the same.

Suddenly, he drew a deep breath, a revelation coming to him. The same intensity… the feeling he felt toward Hinata was on the same level he felt toward his team. If he had a scale and could weigh his feelings, they would be balanced, equal, parallel. Different feelings, but the same intensity. "It's… like a puzzle?" he questioned. "A never-ending puzzle." He looked down at Ma, finding her grinning up at him proudly. "I thought it was complete, but there's another piece, isn't there? And the piece…" He squeezed the place where his heart was. "It's connected with my heart."

"There ya go, Naruto-chan! I think ya got it." She laughed. "Ah, Bunta-chan was right when he said it takes awhile for ya to get something." She continued to laugh when Naruto's face quickly melted from a satisfied expression to an offended glare! "But no matter, ya worked it out in the end. That's what matters."

He crossed his arms, still somewhat offended by the remark. The mention of the frog boss brought up a lot of memories, the month during the chuunin exam particularly, but that led to Jiraiya, his slain teacher, his two and half years training and the mission to find Old Lady Tsunade. As those memories filtered through his mind, the scowl became a sad smile, but then became a worried frown.

"Umm?" Ma stared up at him with a concerned face. "Something the matter, Boy?"

"I was just thinking…" He knelt down and picked up a rock; let it roll around in his hand, feeling how smooth it was as his thoughts once again became chaotic. "When I was with Ero-sennin trying to get Old Lady Tsunade to come back with us to be Hokage, Shizune-neechan told me a story. She said Old Lady Tsunade used to love someone, but she lost him in one of the ninja wars." He opened his hand, gazing at the rock with an extremely miserable look on his face. "It was that incident that caused her to leave the village."

"Yes, that happens sometimes," said Ma, her tone weary as if memories were weighing her down. "It's the cost of war, unfortunately."

"If I start a relationship with Hinata now, what if the same thing happens?" He tightened his fist, gripping the rock inside his hand. "What if the Akatsuki actually do win and kill me? And that cripples Hinata the same way it did Old Lady Tsunade?"

"Now, now, Naruto-chan!" Ma glared at him, disbelief etched all over her face. "You can't be thinkin' of not talkin' this out with the girl? You're thinkin' of possibilities that might not happen. I'm a sure ya told me and Pa that you wouldn't die until ya become Hokage. Why focus on the negative now, of all times?"

Naruto realized what Ma was saying. Focusing on the negative was something he hardly did, his friends knew all too well how often he would go around spouting off how he would do this, do that, regardless of how impossible it seemed (going from dead last to village Hokage being one of them). And while he had sometimes been negative and depressed over being incapable of protecting Gaara and saving Sasuke, everything had turned out all right in the end (Gaara still alive, finally saving Sasuke and bringing him back to the village).

However, he could not get the image Shizune painted of a grief-stricken Tsunade and it shifting into a grief-stricken Hinata. Protecting her from enemies was one thing, but protecting her from sadness was another. _I don't want to see Hinata cry, I don't want her to be sad._

Naruto dropped the rock and fell back to sit down, holding his knees. "I know, I don't intend to die until I do, but this… I don't want to see her cry. And if I'm wrong, if I do end up being killed by the Akatsuki, she'll be sad."

"But she'll be sad no matter if ya tell her you're in love with her or not," scolded Ma, waving her small green finger at him. "Now I've only known her for a month, but I can tell she's a kind hearted soul. If you die, she'll be sad, no matter what."

He shook his head, the idea eating away at him, the urge to keep her from all forms of sorrow increasing. "I know! But maybe…maybe she won't be as sad, if we're not together. I don't want her to be sad and if this helps, even just a little bit, then okay."

Ma opened her mouth, but then closed it. She looked like she wanted to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she shook her head. "This be a bad idea, Naruto-chan. Even if ya don't want her to be sad, you can't just not tell her. She deserves the right to know whatcha' doing. Would ya do this to your teammates? Not tell them somethin' in order to protect them even if they deserved to know?"

_Would I?_ he thought. Would he not tell Sasuke and Sakura something in order to protect them? Trust and teamwork was everything in a team, Kakashi-sensei pounded that lesson into him years ago. And yet…to protect…

He bit his lip as he stood up, his eyes closed. "To protect my precious people, yeah, I'll remain silent if I have to." His hands trembled, his eyes opening to mere slits. He could almost hear Hinata crying, the sound wrenching his heart, his very soul. "If it means keeping Hinata from crying, even just a little bit, I'll stay silent. I'm sorry, Ma."

The elder frog sighed. "Stubborn, Naruto-chan," she said in a sad voice. "I tell you, this be a bad idea, but if I can't convince you otherwise, I suppose I shouldn't try. Just promise me and Hinata that you'll stay alive."

Naruto smiled, a small smile, though. "Of course, I don't plan on dying. Not until I become Hokage."

Ma continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes. It was clear she still did not approval of his actions. He felt bad for keeping his feelings hidden from Hinata, of course, but the desire to protect her from grief and all the pain that came with it superseded his wish to take her, swing her around and explain how he felt towards her.

"Well then, I be off." Ma jumped off the rock and started toward the mountain where she and Pa lived. "Train hard now, boy, I don't wanna hear 'bout ya dying after we had this talk now."

Naruto nodded. "I won't, I promise you." She still did not look convinced, but carried on hopping back home.

He made his way back toward the small cave he shared with Hinata and the Frog Key. Soon he found himself sitting on his pallet, staring at Hinata sleeping peacefully, the moonlight still shining down on her through the door of the cave. Now that Ma had explained things to him, he saw her in a completely different light. He always knew she was a brave and strong person, kind and caring, but somehow now it seemed to increase tenfold. He did not think he really thought about her looks, but now, she was the most beautiful person he had laid eyes on, her long flowing hair, the pale white-lavender eyes resembling moons.

Even her personality was stunning, with the way she softly spoke (now that he thought about it, she had not been stuttering much since they came here), how helpful she was, her caring, her kindness. His memories of her took on a different meaning now; him treasuring each and every one of them. The chuunin written exam and the medicine she gave him. He felt proud when she stood up, bloodied and seemingly beaten (through it upset him to think of her hurt) to face Neji. But the training field felt very special, he had actually told her something he had never told anyone before. And she had cheered him up, told him she admired him of all people, which likely helped him face and beat Neji.

He would likely have to ask Ma about this, but despite everything he saw wonderful in Hinata, he could also see her flaws; she worried a lot, more than normal, but for Naruto, who had rarely had someone worry about him growing up, he found it a bit more endearing than a flaw. She could be withdrawn and, while Hinata had become more open over the month, she was still reserved and quiet. It was an odd mixture.

She had mostly solved her confidence problem, through not completely. She had not been sure about being able to create a new jutsu during their training, but a little encouragement from him and she had slowly begun the process of creating one.

"So…this is love, huh?" he said, his voice barely a whisper, but not loud enough to wake anyone. "I feel like the moments I've had with Hinata have a completely different meaning to them now." He smiled. "I wonder if others experience that?"

On impulse, Naruto reached out, intent on softly brushing a lock of Hinata's hair, but then quickly drew back upon realizing what he was doing. Sighing, he resigned himself to keeping his feelings at bay. He would have to, if he was going to keep her from knowing how much he cared about her now.

"Good night, Hinata…" he said and crawled into his pallet, attempting to go back to sleep when his mind was filled with thoughts about Hinata, his feelings for her and how much he wanted to tell her so.

* * *

Would you believe that Gamakichi was originally in Ma's place? I think that's what got me stuck in the first place. Ma is what made it take off again. It's like she jumped up in plot bunny form and threatened to stuff my ears with carrots if I didn't include her. Scared my plot bunnies to death (never seen a talking bunny before). Now I wonder if Naruto's taking the best approach here?

Now, to work on the ending...and Broken Pieces.

Thanks for reading! - NessaMoon


	2. Delay

Heh everyone amused/shocked over the Gamakichi idea. I can't remember what I originally had in mind for their conversation, but in either case, I'm pretty happy with Ma and Naruto's talk, much better than boy talk. Hee!

Forgot to say this in the last chapter, but this is actually a three shot. No one kill me! I just like playing around with characters and their heads. I'm really good at this sort of thing. Not good at long plotting.

Anyway, this part deals with Hinata and why she hasn't told Naruto about her feelings. Awkward situations, missed glances and a Frog Sennin who is busy trying to make sure our young couple doesn't do anything too rash!

**Title:** Silent. Delay. Reveal.  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Timeline:** AU (The Team 8 and 7's mission to rescue Sasuke was successful)  
**Summary:** Naruto realizes he loves Hinata, but stays quiet about his feelings while Hinata ponders why she delays telling Naruto hers and in the end, after the battles are over, everything is revealed.  
**Pairings:** NaruHina  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing!! Otherwise I wouldn't be as depressed as I am now! Everything belongs to Kishimoto.

* * *

**Delay**

Hinata sat on a rock in the training field that was nestled at the bottom of the mountain. She watched Naruto and Gamakichi fight. Naruto was covered in red chakra with three tails, but instead of crouching on all fours, he was on his own two feet. The whiskers on his face were stretched out, his teeth larger than normal and had red fox-like eyes, however he was in his own mind. Not Kyuubi.

She had her Byakugan active and could see the blue chakra mixed in with the red. This was the training: Since Naruto's chakra proved to be somewhat resilient to Kyuubi's, Hinata's jyuuken increased his chakra and he and the Frog Key brought out Kyuubi's. She kept increasing his chakra until he lost the feral behavior he displayed while using Kyuubi's chakra. It was then he and Gamakichi sparred, working with the red chakra until he started to act bestial again.

When that happened, Hinata would either increase the chakra to continue training or repress it and the Frog Key took care of Kyuubi's if they took a break. They were currently trying to create a jutsu that would allow Naruto to increase or repress chakra on his own, which would enable him to go on missions on his own, without her, Yamato-taichou or Sasuke to counteract Kyuubi.

Hinata smiled, deactivating her Byukugan for the moment. She could not believe she was actually helping Naruto with his training. She had almost missed out on it as the frogs on Myouboku Mountain had been reluctant to allow her in, but Naruto had convinced them to tolerate her for the month. Regardless of their early reservations, they had been very hospitable toward her.

She shifted uncomfortably, looking down at the ground and missing the strange look Naruto just sent her way. Being in close quarters with Naruto had allowed her to be more natural around him, less shy and more open. Of course, she still got a bit nervous, but she could speak without stumbling over her words…too much anyway, and her shyness remained, but it did not restrict her like it used to do. However, in spite of her improvement in how she behaved around him, she had yet to confess her love to him for…various reasons (although, and she tried to crush the thoughts, some sounded like excuses).

Despite her desperate yearning to run up to him, take him to a quiet place and say three words that seemed so simple but weighed heavily on her shoulders, she smiled. Hinata had decided when to talk to him. The minute they returned to Konoha, she planned to take him to a quiet spot, perhaps one of the training grounds, and tell him everything.

_That's what I'll do,_ she thought, excitement bubbling within her. _When we get back to Konoha, I'll ask him if we can talk privately and tell him. Oh, I can't wait!_

"Hey, Hinata!" She looked up to see Naruto bounding toward her on all fours. His chakra was wearing down, it seemed. He stopped in front of her and grinned. "Let's take a break."

"Right," she said, nodding. At her words, the frog key hopped over to them and sealed the Kyuubi's chakra back up. When Naruto stood up, the feral behavior vanishing along with the chakra, Hinata, Byakugan active once again, focused on his chakra points and lowered his chakra level.

Finally, the two of them sat down in front of the rock she had been sitting on, Hinata pulling over a basket filled with some snacks so they could eat something. "I think you're getting the hang of this, Naruto," said Gamakichi as he took Hinata's offering of rice balls. "That was what? A two hour spar?"

"Really?" said Naruto, right before he took a bite of his rice ball. He looked pretty surprised at the time he had spent using the Kyuubi's chakra. "I thought it was shorter than that."

"Well, actually, it was an hour and 35 minutes." Hinata pointed out the time on her wristwatch.

"Eh." Gamakichi tilted his head to the side. "Close enough. At the very least you can finish a battle with someone now without losing your mind in the process."

Naruto swallowed, his face serious, the earlier surprise gone, and fingered another rice ball in his hand. "But it's not enough. I've got to control it myself. No offense, Hinata," he added quickly, grinning sheepishly at her, "but I need to do this myself, right?"

"I think you're doing fine, Naruto-kun." She leaned against him, the light contact making her heart flutter. Years ago, she would not have thought of getting close to him like this. She would not have had the courage, but now, even through she was not making her love known to him, found herself more at ease with him. Perhaps spending a month with him had attributed to this change…

Naruto tensed up when she leaned against his shoulder, but when she looked up at him curiously, he just smiled, rested against the rock she had been sitting on and gazed in front of him at the damage he and Gamakichi caused. "Think we'll have the jutsu finished by the time the training's over?" he asked.

Hinata ran the jutsu in her head. She had to pull the Hyuuga's knowledge of increasing chakra in order to work out the difficulties, which she did not think the clan would be pretty happy about. When it came down to it, increasing chakra was extremely complicated to a non-Hyuuga and to someone who did not use the Eight Gates. Add in that Naruto was not fond of using very long hand signs for jutsu, as well as the fact that they wanted to make sure no one could pick it up in one go and it just added to the complex nature of the technique.

However, she thought she just might have gotten the hang of it. "Ano…maybe. We might have to consult Kakashi-sensei or someone else in Konoha when we get back, just to make sure." She took his hand (again, something she might not have done years ago) and squeezed it. "But I…I know we'll get it sooner or later."

"Yeah! Of course, we will! It's going to be great!" The next thing that happened was a blur for Hinata, but a very happy blur nonetheless. Naruto jumped up, pulled her to her feet, grabbed her by the waist and swung her around in the air. She screamed, not loudly, but she had definitely been taken by surprise! He laughed, but then must have realized what he was doing because he suddenly looked startled and set her down lightly. "Heh!" he said, grinning sheepishly with a hand behind his head, rubbing his hair. "Sorry about that. Guess I got carried away."

Hinata could still feel her stomach turning flip-flops, from the effects of being swung around or the fact it had been Naruto who had done it, she did not know. "Oh…it's... it's all right. Really…" She glanced down to the ground, trying to get a hold of herself, still feeling excited at being swung by the boy she loved.

He put his hands behind his back while stabbing the ground with his sandal. "I think I'll take a short nap. You know, just to rest up for the next training session."

She nodded, a bit disappointed. She had wanted to spend more time with him. However, then again, some time alone might allow her to calm down. If she stayed overexcited like this, she could end up doing something embarrassing. "Oh, okay. I'll…I think I'll go pick some flowers."

While Naruto sat back down to take his nap, Hinata stepped away, picked up her basket which she had brought to collect the flowers she found and headed toward the meadow nearby, the excitement dying faster and replaced by regret.

Behind her, Gamakichi and the Frog Key glanced at the two of them, the retreating Hinata and the already asleep Naruto. "Was there something going on there that we didn't know about?" asked the Frog Key.

Gamakichi shook his head. "Who can tell with humans?"

--

Hinata stared at the pink flower in her hands and sighed. The excitement from what Naruto had done earlier had disappeared, but now all she was left with was confusing feelings of remorse. The past month had been wonderful, she had spent so much time with him, time she had not even dreamed of having with him. And yet she still thought she might embarrass herself in front of him.

_Maybe I haven't prepared myself as well as I thought?_

Sighing, she placed the pink flower in her basket on top of the others. Myouboku Mountain had a ton of flowers she had never seen before. After making sure it was all right with the Frogs, Hinata would walk around and find flowers to take back home to form a garden. On some days when they were taking a break, Naruto would join her, also wanting to collect flowers for his garden. The memories gave her a warm feeling that eradicated the remorse quickly.

After a quick look around to make sure there were not other flowers in the area she wanted, Hinata stepped up, picked up her basket and took a step backwards to head back.

"Oi! Watch it!"

She jumped; the basket dropping from her hand and the flowers spilling out onto the ground. She turned around to see Ma, the Frog Sennin, glaring up at her offended. "Oh! I'm so sorry," said Hinata immediately. "I... I didn't see you."

"Hmph!" Ma trotted over out of Hinata's feet. "Children need to watch where they're goin.' Might step on someone just out for a walk."

"Please forgive me, Ma," she said and bowed to the elder frog. "I really didn't see you."

Ma appeared to give this some thought, scrutinizing Hinata fiercely, then she turned away with a warm smile on her face. "Ah, I forgive ya, Hinata-chan. I know it was an accident."

Hinata sighed in relief. She knelt down to gather up her spilt flowers. "Thank you, Ma."

As she picked up her flowers, she felt Ma staring at her. Finally, the small frog spoke up, her words startling Hinata, "Ya still haven't told Naruto-chan you love him, eh?"

That had not been words Hinata had expected. She blushed bright red in response. Had her feelings for Naruto been so obvious? _Of course,_ she corrected herself, bitterly, _of course, it's obvious. All the others back home know except…well, Naruto-kun._

"I'll take that as a no." Ma sighed as Hinata fidgeted uncomfortably in the grass. "Ya wouldn't mind tellin' an old frog why, would ya? I can't think of a better place to explain ya love the boy than this lovely mountain. Kinda like a storybook, ain't it?"

"Well…yes," admitted Hinata, her face still slightly red and wondering exactly why Ma brought this up. "It is very pretty up here, but there's…some issues that need to be resolved first before I tell him."

"Eh? Issues?" Ma hopped over to her, stopping right at her knees. "What kinda of issues?"

Explaining this was making Hinata feel awkward. No matter how much she reasoned to herself why she kept herself from telling Naruto, the excuses sounded hollow in her ears. The first time she had not been prepared (and she had fainted at first sight of him anyway, missing her chance) while the second time she knew Sasuke to be important to him and a mission did not seem appropriate to tell him anyway.

Training, however? It sounded right, not wanting to distract him from getting stronger, but still…it sounded hollow? "Well…" she began nervously, somehow knowing Ma would not like her reasons, "I really don't want to distract him from training."

The small frog appeared to consider this, tilting her head from side to side and tapping her web foot. "I suppose that's a good reason. Naruto-chan's a stubborn boy and trainin' all he thinks about, from what I can see. But surely you can find some time to explain? I've been watchin' the two of you, eatin' and pickin' flowers. I think you can find an openin' if ya try. I don't think you tellin' him will distract him for too long."

Ma's reasoning made sense, but yet, as she stared down at her hands in her lap, she still felt uncomfortable. It was as if a wall stood in front of her and she could not find her way around it. She had prepared herself, of course. Prepared herself for the most likely of scenarios; she knew she would possibly have to wait for Naruto to sort things out, take in her confession, perhaps give her a chance. She had also prepared for rejection; however, she could not see Naruto rejecting her outright. Nevertheless, it would not do to prepare for one thing and not the worst case scenario. If Naruto rejected her, she did not want to be crushed mentally. It would likely undo everything she had worked so hard for.

And yet still…despite her planning, despite everything, the wall remained. "Ano…I suppose you're right, but," she shifted around in the grass as she mumbled her words, "I can't bring myself to say it…not right now."

Hinata could tell Ma was disappointed as she closed her eyes and shook her head. She wondered why exactly the Frog Sennin was interested in this all of a sudden, but did not press it. She figured Ma had her reasons and, after all, had shown nothing but kindness toward her since she had arrived at the mountain. "But I'm going to," she said, hoping this would satisfy Ma. "When we get back to Konoha, I plan to talk to Naruto-kun then."

Instantly, Ma's eyes lit up. Hinata had been right; that had pleased her. At the same time, her mouth twisted into a strange looking smile that made Hinata again why exactly she was asking about her and Naruto. "Are ya sure about that, Hinata-chan?" she asked, through the question did seemed less like an admonishing and more like making sure Hinata actually meant what she said. Ma knew she shared Naruto's nindo. "Ya don't think you won't feel the same as ya do now when you're back in Konoha?"

Hinata had to shake her head. "I don't know about that, but I feel better about telling him back in Konoha. He will have finished training and, I know the Akatsuki's on his mind, but that's kind of like another mission, isn't it? I know getting Sasuke back was important to him, but the Akatsuki…I don't know, they just don't feel terribly important to him, not like Sasuke was." She tightened her hands into fists, a small smile gracing her face. "I will tell him when we get back to Konoha. That's a promise."

Ma sighed happily, again confusing Hinata as to her reasons for questioning her about this. "Well, then. I guess that's that, then."

Hinata shifted in the grass uneasily, the question on the tip of her tongue. "Umm? Ma? May I ask - ?"

"Oi! Hinata!" Naruto's voice echoed throughout the meadow, which caused Hinata to jump up and blush. "It's time for the next session. Are you fin – " He came upon the two of them, Hinata with her face red and Ma with a self-satisfied smirk on her face, and jumped. "Ma? Ah – what're you doing here?"

The smirk disappeared replaced by a scowl as if she were offended by Naruto's question. "Can't I take a walk and talk to one of ya without gettin' a grilling?"

Naruto laughed nervously and rubbed his hand behind his head sheepishly. _Did something happen between them?_ thought Hinata, finding their behavior odd. This was only the third time the two had met, but during their other meetings, Naruto had behaved normally, treating Ma like he treated Tsunade, but maybe with an inch more respect. What could possibly have happened?

Whatever it was, Hinata would not find out now as Ma began hopping back toward the mountain. "Well, I be off. You train well now, hear me? Don't want ya embarrassin' the frog summoners, Naruto-chan."

His nervousness disappeared, replaced with by an annoyed frown. "I'm not going to embarrassing anyone!" he shouted after her. "You'll see! I'm going to be the best and blow everyone away!" He folded his arms and turned away from the mountain. "Hmph! Lecturing me like that! Who does she think she is?"

Hinata could not help but giggle at Naruto's behavior. She knew he was faking, not at all annoyed by Ma's parting remarks. It was just the way he was, especially with people he cared about, like Ma and Tsunade.

Picking up her basket filled with flowers, Hinata stood up, letting the basket hang from her right arm. "Ano? Naruto-kun?" she asked, the incident with Ma just now still occupying her mind. "Is everything…okay? With you and Ma, I mean?"

He turned toward her inquisitively, although there was something in his eyes at first that confused her. Was that worry? "Nah, nothing's wrong. She just surprised me. I didn't expect her down here." Then he stared at her and she knew that was concern in his eyes. "Are you sick, Hinata? You look a bit red. You looked really red when I got here, too, now that I think about it."

"Oh!" Hinata placed her hands on her face and stared down at the ground, feeling relived but disappointed at the same time. He always confused her blushing with being sick. Sometimes, she wished he would realize what she was truly blushing about, but right now, it did not matter. _He was just worried about my health, that's all._ "Oh, no. I'm fine. Really." Bringing her head up, she put on a smile, despite that the urge to want him to know everything surfacing once again. _I can wait. It won't be long. We'll be in Konoha and then he'll know everything and then, I'll stand by and watch what happens._ "Well," she said, started back toward the training area, "you said…it was time for another spar?"

Naruto nodded, his face lit up with a smile. "Sure!" He took her free hand and together they started back to train once more.

* * *

Oh…Hinata. I wonder if Ma is right? She should tell him, but on the other hand, no harm can come of waiting, right? I mean, it's not like a big battle is coming up and Naruto will be near death, right?

Uh, oh! That doesn't look good. Really shouldn't have taken a peek at the last part. I think I'll run to the Amazon to hide. Yeah, that'll be a good idea. And I still haven't rewrote the ending of this. I'll plot to do that tonight.

Last part will be up some time soon, which, knowing me will likely be near the end of the week.

Thanks for reading! - NessaMoon


	3. Reveal

I finally got back on this. Blasted distractions. Not to mention the ending. I still don't like the last paragraph, but it's way better than what I had at first. I've never been good with endings unless I'm really on a roll and that's rare, especially with endings.

Anyway, to recap, after a major battle with the Akatsuki leader (where Hinata was hurt, Naruto went Kyuubi and Hinata solved his Kyuubi problem at major risk to herself), Naruto's training, but has developed feelings for Hinata. Meanwhile, Hinata is delaying confessing her feelings to him due to the training and just plain hesitation, not knowing Naruto already loves her. In other words, it's all a tangled mess! And lots of angst!!

We have silent. We have delay. What's left? Oh, Reveal.

Itty bitty SasuSaku in here, too.

**Title:** Silent. Delay. Reveal.  
**Genre:** Angst  
**Timeline:** AU (The Team 8 and 7's mission to rescue Sasuke was successful)  
**Summary:** Naruto realizes he loves Hinata, but stays quiet about his feelings while Hinata ponders why she delays telling Naruto hers and in the end, after the battles are over, everything is revealed.  
**Pairings:** NaruHina, slight SasuSaku  
**Rating:** G  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing!! Otherwise I wouldn't be as depressed as I am now! Everything belongs to Kishimoto.

* * *

**Reveal**

It was dark. He could not remember how he got here. All he wanted to do was rest now. His body was tired, so tired, and all he wanted was rest.

However, a pinpoint of light appeared in the distance. Slowly, it became brighter. As it got brighter, he began to realize some things. For one, he was lying on something soft, a bed perhaps. It was comfortable and just made him want to stay unconscious more, make the light go away, but still it came, growing brighter and brighter.

The next was smell. Some flowers were nearby, their fresh aroma making the room smell like a meadow filled with brightly colored flowers. Maybe he was lying in such a meadow? But it did not feel like he was on ground. He could smell more flowers, grass and some other scents, like food, but all those smelt far away. His mouth felt dry, now that he thought about food, almost like he had not had water in awhile. However, if he had been lying down for awhile now, he would not be drinking anything, now would he?

The light continued to grow brighter.

His hearing gradually returned. The first sound that assaulted his ears was crying. He could not help but feel pain at the mere sound of it. _Don't cry…_ he thought. _Please…don't…_ Everything from before, the place he was at, the flowers, his dry mouth, all became forgotten as the sound of sobbing just attacked his heart.

_Who are you? Why are you crying? Don't…whatever made you cry, I'll make it stop…_

"Naruto-kun…" the person moaned. The name sounded familiar to him. He knew it from somewhere…wait…

Suddenly, the image of a red haired man, clothed in a black robe with red clouds, appeared in his mind. He was fighting him, this man appeared to want him for something. He had won that fight with the man, but then it shifted to a different setting, with the same person, only this time he lost…and someone cried out… _"Naruto-kun!"_

That voice…he knew that voice, too. It was the same voice crying right now. The voice he did not want to hear crying anymore…the crying that caused pain in his heart. And other pain, real, physical pain, but that felt far away now, like it was over, however, it made him felt like he was dying…

Dying…dying…Pein…the Akatsuki leader…kidnapped him…wanted to take the Kyuubi…and Hinata…Hinata…she was crying!

Naruto's eyes shot open.

He was in the hospital, lying in a bed with fresh flowers sitting in a vase on the desk next to it. The window was open, allowing the scents of the village to float through. And Hinata…she was sitting in the chair next to him, her hands on her knees, gripping them intensely while tears ran down her face.

_No! No! This wasn't how it was supposed to go!_ And yet everything had gone terribly wrong the moment they found themselves near Konoha where Pein had attacked them and they had been separated. Naruto had fought with everything he had, but yet failed, knocked out and taken for extraction.

He did not remember what happened after that. The next thing he remembered was waking up and he quickly became engaged in battle with Pein, but the battle had exhausted him completely and he quickly returned to unconsciousness afterwards. Hinata had bandages on one of her cheeks and around her wrists. Clearly, she had been fighting, maybe with the blue haired woman, Konan, or maybe with someone else.

"Hinata…" he said softly, his heart sinking to new depths at what he had tried to prevent, a Hinata consumed by sorrow, having come to life anyway.

She glanced up quickly, surprise in her teary white eyes. At once, she started to shake and she put her hands up to her mouth. "Naaa – ruto-kun? Yo – you're o – o – kay…you – you're okay…"

Stuttering… She had not done that in awhile, not to such a great degree. Slowly, Naruto sat up in bed, moved his legs off so he could sit to face her and then nodded his head. "Yeah," He responded quietly, "I'm okay now."

Hinata threw herself at Naruto. She clasped her arms around his neck and began to sob on his shoulder. He felt shocked and terrible at the same time as he brought his arms around her. "It's okay," he whispered. "It's okay. Don't cry, please don't cry. Are you okay, Hinata? Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "I – I tho – thought y – ou were de – de – ad. I – I saw yo – yo – ur b – body and…and I thought…I thought…"

_But she'll be sad no matter if ya tell her you're in love with her or not_. Ma had said that, told him that, in an effort to get him to tell Hinata his newfound feelings for her. And she had been right. It would not have matter if he had told her or not. Trying to protect her from sadness merely caused him pain by thinking about it.

_I'm such an idiot_, he thought, mentally hitting himself for making such a mistake. It would have been better to tell her and, if she had wanted to be in a relationship with him, enjoy what time they had, open with each other and not hiding his feelings from her. But now? Now he had to confront his mistake. _I'm going to tell her before something else happens,_ he thought as he stroked her hair. "Don't cry, please, Hinata. Everything's okay now," he said, hoping she would calm down.

Suddenly, she broke away, taking his hands into hers, rubbing the back of the knuckles and gazing downward. He could tell she was still upset, her eyes still watery, but it seemed like she had stopped crying for the most part. A fraction of him was happy, her crying tore up his heart and soul, crying out to protect Hinata at all cost before realizing that the very thing she was upset over was his near-death, but another side of him still felt terribly, awful, crying or not, she was still upset, still sadden. He wanted to see Hinata happy again.

"Na – na – naru – to-kun?" He returned his focus to her. "The – there's some – somethi – ng I – "

"Hinata!" A harsh whisper came from the door as it slid open. Naruto glanced up to see Sakura poke her head in, through she was looking down the hallway. Her face was as pale as a sheet and she, too, had bandages around her hand and, from what it looked like, her shoulder as well. "Hurry up! Tsunade-shishou will come back any – oh! Naruto!" She had turned around at that moment and caught him awake and sitting up. "You're awake? Are you okay? You don't feel hurt, do you?"

He shook his head. Sakura was still talking in a whisper as if she feared someone overhearing her. _Old Lady Tsunade must really be scary when it comes to keeping us in the hospital._ Of course, that did not faze Naruto so much. He could take whatever the old lady could throw at him (except for Hokage authority). "I'm fine," he said, his voice not entirely normal, just barely up enough for her to hear him. "Are you okay? Was anyone else hurt?"

However, Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Everyone's fine. No one was badly hurt, not critically anyway. Tsunade-shishou says we'll be well in a couple of weeks." Then her eyes darted to Hinata, who had remained quiet during the exchange, her head down. "Hinata, please hurry. Tsunade-shishou will be doing her rounds and if she catches us…" She trailed off, her face going several shades whiter than Naruto thought possibly. Then, before Hinata could reply, Sakura turned and her eyes widened. "Sasuke-kun! Get back in bed! No, you can't see Naruto now! You don't get it, you've never seen what the Hokage is like when she's mad! Now, bed!" Sakura stuck her head back into his room and whispered, "Hinata, hurry!" and closed the door, her voice still could be heard as she steered Sasuke back toward his bed.

Naruto merely stared at the door. He did not think he had ever seen Sakura that scared before. He glanced over at Hinata, who had not moved from her spot. "Wow," he said, trying to lighten the mood between them, "Old Lady Tsunade must be pretty scary. I don't think she is, at least not until she pulls out the super-freaky strength." He grinned, putting his one hand behind his head, but Hinata remained the same. He brought his hand down, frowning. He reached out, almost afraid to touch her. "Hinata?"

"Naruto-kun…" His eyes widened, bring his hand down from nearly stroking her hair. Her stutter was gone. Her hands tightened in her lap, she seemed to tense up a great deal. "I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere? To talk? When we get out of the hospital?"

She brought her head back up. Tears were still running down her cheeks, but she took her hands and wiped them off her face. However, he was reeling from her question._ She wants to talk? What about?_ Well, regardless of what she wanted, he would at least have time to talk to her about his feelings for her. "Of course," he said. "We can talk. Anywhere you want."

"One - one of the training grounds?" He nodded and she closed her eyes. "Thank you, Naruto-kun," she whispered.

She stood up and walked out of his room. He watched her go, feeling as if a great weight was weighing him down. He had wanted to keep Hinata from feeling sadness should something happen to him. He could not protect her from sorrow. Perhaps he could not protect people from emotional enemies…

"I'm sorry, Hinata." He lowered his head and moved to get back in his bed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." He sighed, closing his eyes and clutching the blanket tightly. "I wonder how you would have been if I had told you?"

Perhaps in a stroke of good fortunate, Naruto quickly fell back asleep, his tortured mind no longer wondering about what ifs and could have beens.

--

It was a week later. Strangely, Tsunade had decided they could be released and so Hinata walked out of the hospital, holding Naruto's hand and quickly turned toward the training areas. She did not stop to ponder the Hokage's reasons for releasing them, but not the others. She had other things on her mind, far more important to her and could not let other thoughts distract her from what she needed to do now.

She had been heartbroken to find Naruto had been kidnapped while she had battled against the Akatsuki, Konan, once again. She had felt lost. Incomplete, more incomplete than she had previously. It was as if the Akatsuki had reached into her and torn her heart out.

Of course, a rescue team had been sent out and she went with them, her heart filling with worry with each step she took. And when she had gazed upon Naruto's body, his unmovable body, she had lost it completely.

But Naruto had not been dead. The extraction had not been successful and he had come back, come back and defeated Pein. However, the battle had exhausted him and he had collapsed into unconsciousness without even seeing his friends, teammates or Hinata.

Maybe it was a selfish wish, but she had wanted to sit by Naruto in his room and asked Sakura for help, knowing Tsunade would not approve of her getting out of her bed. She had been right, of course, Sakura saying it was a bad idea, but she kept insisting and finally, got her to relent and agree to be the lookout.

Once in Naruto's room, she began to cry. Weakness, perhaps, but at the time, she had not cared. Hinata had nearly lost her chance to tell Naruto her feelings, nearly lost it forever. She should have told him earlier, before they left Myouboku Mountain, sometime during their month of training or even before they even went to the mountains, before they left the village. She should have told him…

Ma had talked to her about confessing, thinking she should while she had the chance and now she realized the Frog Sennin had been right. She should have told him about her feelings, explained everything to him and waited to see the results.

She had thought about her teacher, Kurenai-sensei. She too had lost someone she loved, Asuma-sensei. In what was likely an eerie sense of foreboding when she had thought back on it, Hinata had visited her sensei right before she left with Naruto. Kurenai-sensei had talked about a lot of things, including her period of mourning of Asuma-sensei, her one regret that she had not seen him before he left and told him she loved him one last time.

And so Hinata had cried, kept thinking of how she should have told him, reliving the moments that had brought them to this, him in bed and her sitting next to him. That is, until Naruto had woken up.

They were at the training grounds now, a specific one, actually. The same one they had met at before the final matches of the chuunin exam. She could not think of a more appropriate place.

They stood at the three logs in the middle of the field and here, Hinata stopped and turned around to face Naruto. His expression was curious; his blue eyes alight with worry and concern. Exactly for what, she did not know and would not ask, not right now. She had to admit her feelings before something else happened and this time, snatched her chance away for good.

He took a quick glance around, a small smile on his face, before landing back on her. "Okay, Hinata," he said, quietly. Naruto's voice quiet, she could hardly believe it. "We're here. What do you want to tell me?"

Holding her hands in front her body, she struggled to find the right words. "Naruto-kun, I…what I want to tell you is…" She fidgeted around. Now that it had come to this, she realized she never actually prepared what to say, other than three words, and unexpectedly, those three words seemed to mean less than she thought they did. Her love for Naruto meant more words than she could possibly think of.

But here, she had to find something and as he continued to gaze upon her, his gaze inquisitive, she recognized no other start would do. Hinata opened her eyes, meeting his, took a deep breath and said the trio of words she had longed to say, "I love you, Naruto-kun."

At once, his eyes widened, but she continued on, the words not even being thought of, but merely spilling out like water cascading down a river. "I think I've loved you since I first saw you at the academy. I know I've loved you since before our graduation. I told you, before your match with Neji, that it was thanks to you that I changed, that when you cheered me on, I became stronger. I admired you then, but it was more than that. I really, truly love you with my entire being."

She took a moment to take a deep breath, before going on. Naruto remained silent, still staring her like he was frozen in shock. "You're strong, brave and funny. You're so confident in yourself that you raised my hopes in myself in the process, even if for a little while. You always picked yourself up when you were down. I love everything about you, your personality, your honesty, your determination. And now…now that I know about…" She glanced down at the ground, her eyes halfway closed, the next part was something she had only briefly spoke with him about. "Know about Kyuubi, I wish…I really wish I had become friends with you sooner or…I wish I hadn't been too shy to…to talk to you, I – I wish I hadn't fainted sometimes when – when became overwhelmed by you. Maybe…maybe you wouldn't had suffered so much…" she said quietly.

Then she shook her head, as if she were brushing off the past. "But I know I can't change that. So…if…if you accept this, I'll…I'll make sure you're never alone again, no matter what happens in the future. I love you…and I don't want you to be alone."

Squeezing her hands shut, squeezing her eyes shut so to prevent tears, she came to a part of her speech she dreaded, but knew she had to go through with it. "I – I should have told you…all this. I – I should have, I should have… Be – before we we – nt to the mountain… Maybe at the mountain… I should have told you… But I didn't, because I thou – thought it would distract you, and…I almost…lost you…"

_I'm getting too emotional,_ she thought and quickly took several deep breaths to calm herself. She did not think this would make her lose control, but felt she was quickly heading in that direction. The last thing she wanted was to fall apart and sputter uncontrollably. Naruto had enough problems trying to figure out her behavior. She would not add to it.

Feeling calmer, she bit her lip, trying to think of what to say next. She had said everything important and now she just had to conclude it. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but…I really love you."

And that was it. Hinata waited for Naruto's response. She quickly looked up at him, he had remained in the same position, still staring, however, his mouth was slightly open now. But he kept silent, seemed incapable of forming words (quite un-Naruto like) as he kept gazing at her, like a statue. So she took his silence to be the only response she could think of.

_He's rejecting me…_ Her heart sank at the thought. Even so, she could not change Naruto's mind so she brought up what she had trained herself for. Keeping her head low (she really could not look him in the eyes, not right now), she said, carefully and just as she had practiced, "Well…that's it… Thank you, Naruto-kun, for listening to me." And then she started toward the village.

She took two steps before Naruto caught her by the arm and she gasped at his sudden movement, her white eyes turning from upset from his rejection to surprise that he had moved. She turned toward him, trying to figure out what he wanted.

He still appeared shocked, but there was something else, something she missed as she had focused on her speech. It looked oddly like pain, but how could what she had said hurt him? "Hinata…" he said, his voice hoarse. "You love me? You love love me?"

She did not trust herself to speak anymore so she merely nodded and mumbled a barely audibly "yes."

As soon as her head moved forward, Naruto's head fell and he muttered something she could not hear. However, his head came up, his blue eyes shimmering and a slight red blush coloring his whiskered cheeks, and he gently pushed her so she would face him directly. Before she could even think what Naruto was doing, he took her hands and held them firmly. "Hinata…I…" He looked nervous, lost for words, and torn up over something. "I think…I…" Finally, he sighed and took a deep breath, the uneasiness suddenly disappearing. "I think I love you, too, Hinata."

She felt as if her whole world had stopped as she stood there, hands still in Naruto's, gazing into his eyes as he confessed his own love to her, something she had not expected. "What?" she asked, her voice teetering on the edge of tears. This was not possible. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Had she not just accepted his silence as rejection? This could not be true.

"I…I love you…I think," he added uncertainly. "I don't think I know very much about this stuff, but I think I really love you." He frowned, stubbing the ground with his sandal, but continuing to hold her hands and squeezing them tightly. "I thought I was protecting you by not telling you, maybe if I had known you loved me, I wouldn't have been quiet this long."

"Known?" Hinata's mind was reeling. What was Naruto talking about? But abruptly one thing became centered in her highly confused brain: Naruto loved her. He loved her. _Naruto-kun loves me!_ Her eyes widened, flickering in shock as she realized this was real, it was not a trick of her imagination. She had been prepared to wait for his answer. She had been prepared for rejection, but this? She had not prepared herself for Naruto confessing that he loved her in return!

As that one thought, him loving her this quickly, consumed her, she felt herself become faint. _No! Don't! No fainting! _But it was too late; darkness ate away at her vision, her body became limp and she fell forward right into a stunned Naruto's arms.

--

"Hinata!" shouted Naruto as he caught her in his arms. He already had her hands so all he had to do was let go and catch her. Without delay, he turned her around. She was out completely.

"Eh?" wondered a confused Naruto. "What's wrong with her? She's not sick again, is she?" But she could not be; Old Lady Tsunade would have never released her if she had been sick. So what could be wrong? _If she's not sick, then what? What else could it be?_

_"I wish I hadn't been too shy to…to talk to you, I – I wish I hadn't fainted sometimes when – when became overwhelmed by you."_ Those words echoed through his head. And all the moments Hinata had fainted with him present when they were twelve (and the one moment when they first met after he returned from his training trip and rescuing Gaara) took on a whole new meaning.

"So that's why?" he said, looking down at the fainted girl in his arms, her head resting on his arm, his other hand holding her around her waist and her feet barely touching the ground. "You fainted all that time back then because of me?"

Hinata could not answer, of course, but, perhaps for once, Naruto did not need to confirm it. Instead, he lifted her up, went up to the middle log and knelt down, laying Hinata gently down on the grass and took a seat right next to her. "I'm such an idiot," he muttered, his face betraying the anger her felt at himself. He brought his legs up, placed an arm on one knee while it held his head up. "Maybe if I had known what this kind of love really was, I wouldn't have been such a jerk or an idiot around her sometimes," he complained.

But then he looked over at her, taking his hand and brushing away a lock of her bluish hair out of her face, and smiled. "But I've got time to make up for that now, don't I?"

Naruto leaned back on the log, thinking of the short moments they had together and waited for Hinata to wake up. After all, they had a lot to talk about.

--

"She fainted! I don't believe it!"

"What I don't believe is how you got me out here!"

Sakura turned back to Sasuke, who was leaning against a tree, evidently in his words and stance that the last place he wanted to be at the training areas, hiding in the trees and bushes, watching Naruto and Hinata's entire exchange.

"Well, I had little choice in the matter," retorted Sakura. "Ino was too injured from the fight so Tsunade-shishou wanted to keep her for an additional week or else I would have brought her since she wanted to see this, too." She turned back to see Naruto settle Hinata down on the ground. "And I need an extra pair of eyes if I'm going to tell Ino all about it later! Oh, and Neji! He wanted to know, too. He's in the same situation as Ino, you know."

Sasuke grumbled. "So why did it have to be me?"

Sakura arched an eyebrow, a smirk on her face. "Well I suppose Lee could have helped me? I ruled him out because he tends to be loud, you know, but if you didn't want to come…"

Suddenly, Sasuke jumped up to her, slamming down on one of the trees with one hand. "Okay, what's the loser up to?"

"Change your mind?" inquired Sakura.

"No," replied Sasuke, his eyes closed and not meeting her own, "you're talking too much to get the job done and then you and Ino will have a fight because you didn't. That's all."

Sakura had to choke back the giggle at his slight jealous reaction at the mention of Lee. Apparently, he did not care who she was with as long as it was not someone who liked her. And, of course, he did not know… "By the way, Sasuke?"

"What?"

"Lee doesn't really like me that way, anymore."

As she expected, a slight blush appeared across his face and he crossed his arms. "Doesn't appear they're going to be doing much now. Will this suffice for Ino?"

Sakura gazed back toward her teammate and friend. When Hinata had asked her to take her to Naruto's room, she had known promptly what had been on the white eyed girl's mind. After going through an incident of seeing the person she loved near death, Sakura had little doubt what Hinata was going through. Not that it made taking the risk of being caught out of bed any more risky, but she had, nevertheless, understood. And had known exactly what Hinata would do when she had the chance.

As soon as Tsunade-shishou gave her permission to leave her bed (but not the hospital), she had told Ino what was going on and then Neji (Ino because she had to be in on what was going on and Neji because he had expressed concern all month while they were gone over Hinata's wellbeing). Neji had asked politely for her to find out Naruto's reaction while Ino had literally demanded an entire book be written. In any case, Sakura managed to convince Tsunade-shishou to let her and Sasuke (other than Naruto, one of the least injured) out a tiny little bit early with the promise they would come straight back when they were done.

"Yeah, I guess that's it." Sakura turned around to return to the hospital, an inquisitive expression on her face. "I wonder, through, when Naruto fell in love with Hinata?"

"Don't know, don't care," replied Sasuke as he moved on ahead. "All I care about is getting out of the hospital before I really declare myself insane."

Sakura laughed nervously at his comment, his reference to his condition over a month ago conjuring emotions and memories that made her cringe, but she took a small breath and forced those feelings away. Things were different now. Very different.

Catching up to Sasuke, she linked her arm into his. "I think everything's going to be all right now," she said.

Sasuke gave her a strange look, but then it melted into a warm expression, not overly expressive (he never was like that anyway), but to Sakura, who could read him better than anyone, it meant he felt happy.

--

"So the brat finally told her, huh?"

Tsunade had been watching the entire affair, from Naruto and Hinata's confessions to Sakura and Sasuke spying on them, from a tree branch. On her shoulder stood a small squat frog wearing a black robe: Ma the Frog Sennin.

"Appear so," said the tiny frog. "Knew trouble was a stirrin' the moment I saw that look on ya face, Tsunade-chan."

The Fifth sighed, remembering a wounded Hinata busting into her office, tears streaming down her face as she choked out the worst possible situation: Naruto had been captured. After sending off the rescue team (which, despite Tsunade's protests, included Hinata), she had returned to her office to find Ma sitting on her desk.

As a medical ninja, she should not have allowed Hinata to go, but she remembered all too well the pain of losing someone. She knew Hinata would go crazy just waiting. And perhaps, a part of her hoped they would be in time, get to Naruto before the extraction and then she would be able to confess on the way home. A glimmer of hope in the eyes of someone who had also lost a loved one.

So Shizune had healed Hinata as much as she could while Sakura promised to heal her if she needed to be on the way and maybe that was why, in the end, she had allowed the girl to go. That's what she told herself, anyway, as well as Ma when asked.

It was also likely the reason why she let Naruto and Hinata out early than they should have been.

"I knew she was in love with Naruto," said Tsunade. "I doubt there's a single person in this entire village who doesn't know, not those that know the two. I think we were all hoping for her to tell him while they were away." She sighed and glanced back over to Naruto and the fainted Hinata. "Given all that's happened now, it would have been the best."

Ma nodded, frowning and looking as if she regretted something. "Of course, it would've been, but children these days are stubborn. 'Specially, Naruto-chan." She turned to Tsunade, that look of regret still plain on her face. "Considered it, ya know? When he told me he wasn't gonna tell her he loved her, I thought, "Now, I should tell him, the girl loves you right back, Naruto-chan. What ya planning here is gonna go to waste." But I didn't. Thought she should tell him herself, tried convincing her to tell him, but it didn't work out that way."

Tsunade looked at Ma in sympathy. "Don't beat yourself up about it. Hinata told you she was going to confess when they got home. You couldn't have known Akatsuki was going to capture him along the way. Besides…" she added, frowning as she remembered her own memories of her lover, "the result might have been the same regardless."

But Ma shook her head. It was not enough for her. "Perhaps. But they would've gotten that month of happiness or even a few days. If they have just…"

However, Tsunade shook her head, cutting the Frog Sennin off. "It won't do to dwell on what ifs, you know. The point here is they've told each other now. Now they can live in happiness; make up for the time they've lost." Dan came to mind, the happy moments they shared for the short time they had before he was cruelly taken away from her. "They really deserve to be happy," she said; her voice soft and eyes down, but still observing both couples from her vantage point.

A fond smile appeared on Ma's face. There was nothing more that could be said; Ma knew Tsunade was right. Both Naruto and Hinata may have had the best of intentions in the beginning, but all turned out right in the end. The river of love (as Ma so aptly described it to a confused Naruto) often had rough currents, pointy rocks to cut into someone and waves that could engulf both people. However, at some point, the rapids would cease and the water would become smooth.

And all Naruto and Hinata (and perhaps Sasuke and Sakura too) had to do now was float down the river, enjoying life as they drifted along.

With one last look at the two couples, Tsunade jumped off the branch, retreating to the hospital, and Ma disappeared in a white puff of smoke back to Myouboku Mountain. The day was still long, still young and, as Hinata awakened to a smiling Naruto looking down at her, new paths opening.

The End

* * *

Well, I think this is it. Unless the bunnies multiple more even more, this is likely it. However, never trust the bunnies. I learned that the hard way. I really hope everyone enjoyed this. I loved writing this, angst is so awesome to write. I'm sorry I made Hinata faint, really am. I figured Hinata would have prepared herself for possible reactions Naruto might have to her confession, but she likely wouldn't consider him already be in love with her. And I found it cute that Naruto would catch her, realize why Hinata has behaved the way she has and lays her down to the ground all gentle like. Pretty mental image!

Thanks for reading - NessaMoon


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